For those who missed it, yesterday, 14th October was Ada Lovelace Day. It is a day dedicated to commemorate the achievements of women in STEM, i.e. science, technology, engineering and maths. In an era where the likes of Satya Nadella (Microsoft’s CEO) undermine the prowess of women, I guess it’s important to celebrate everyday as Ada Lovelace Day.
To give you a bit of background, Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace aka Ada Lovelace, was an English mathematician. As a writer, her works on Charles Babbage’s early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine are pretty renowned. In many ways, she is also credited to be the world’s computer programmer as she wrote the first algorithm to be carried out by a machine.
For the moment let us keep the gender debate aside and look into how we can marvel at the geniuses from across the globe. If you know a woman who fits the bill, then you can add them to a global list here. You can browse other entries here, and get inspired by the achievements. Personally, I don’t know of a name that I can recommend in STEM, but a close stream to technology, that is design, I’d love to mention Ti Chang, the women who is pioneering a change in the way the design industry is perceiving ‘Women in Design.’ Her works include revolutionary designs like the DUET and Vesper (pre order here).
The video below is a special Ada Lovelace Day STEM Women Panel Discussion as they talk about the role of women in Science Publishing. Have a look.
